PSC47 Anything Goes with Bugaboo Stamps

This week at The Perfect Sentiments we're using Bugaboo Stamps for a great Anything Goes With a Sentiment (on front), Challenge #47.  I had a lot of fun using their Thoughts and Prayers Block. There seems to be an endless number of people who are in my thoughts and prayers each day. When I retired I decided that I would be instant in prayer as soon as God brings someone to mind, otherwise, at retirement age I tend to forget! I probably need to pray about that, too!

I loved the design of the flowers in this digital stamp. I used the colors from the CR84FN challenge this week and the sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges. I printed the digital stamp two times and colored both. Then I cut the large flowers out and adhered them in the center with pop dots, but curled the loose edges slightly for a little dimension. For more dimension, I embossed the background, pleated the ribbon and added a pin and bling button.

 

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

 CR84FN Color Challenge #61 - Aqua, Tan, Cream

Crazy 4 Challenges #151 - sketch

Craft Your Passion #125 - Embossing

Shopping Our Stash Weekly #66 - Use your favorite thing - mine is embossing

 

I hope you'll  join our Perfect Sentiments Challenge Anything Goes with a Sentiment - CREATE ANY TYPE OF PAPER-CRAFTED ITEM YOU LIKE, FOR ANY OCCASION YOU LIKE.  Bugaboo Stamps is offering a great prize: 7 FREE IMAGES OR $21 VALUE.

 

Mojo Monday 255 Wedding Card

My grandchildren are back in school, so I'm back home and in my craft room instead of staying at my daughters and taking four kids on outings around Kansas City! It's been a busy summer!

At church yesterday the pastor introduced an older widow in our church and a new gentleman as husband and wife. I was so happy for the couple that I couldn't wait to make them a card. I thought the Mojo Monday sketch was perfect for such a card.

Inside I've written:

May God bless you both with many happy years! May He fill your moments with an abundance of love!

Challenges for this card:

Craft Your Passion #124 - Power of 3 - use 3 of something (I used flowers, sparkles, pearls)

Made Especially for You - use 3 pearls

Mojo Monday sketch #255

Pretty Little Ribbon Shop challenge #13 - Add some bling or sparkle (shiny ribbon and sparkles)

Sweet Stampin' - Weddings or Anniversaries

Unique Crafter's Challenge #6 - Sparkle and Shine (shiny ribbon and sparkles)

6.5" x 5" Wedding card recipe:

Paper - Martha Stewart (hearts); BoBunny Enchanted Collection ; Close To My Heart White Daisy and Black cardstock

Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"

Ink: CTMH Black

\Accents - Prima flowers; CTMH Clear Sparkles, Pearl Opaques; lace and satin trimmed organdy unknown

Tools - Cuttlebug 5" x 7"embossing folder; Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Circles; black Cricut shape (but I don't remember the cartridge)

Cricut Artiste Gift Box for Cards

There are so many different 3-D shapes on this new Cricut cartridge, I have to keep makig them! Here's a small gift box I made that holds 6 thank you cards and matching envelopes. I set my Cricut to cut the largest size using the Fit To Page feature button on the left. That made a box that is 3.5" tall and 4.5" wide. I wanted to use the bright fall colors of the new CTMH "Flirty" paper which was a perfect match to challenge at Sentimental Sundays this week. It has fall leaves on one side and bright flowers on the other.

I random stamped a "belly band" for the box using the leaf that matches the flowers in the Flirty collection.

Altogether, the box and the cards took one sheet of the double sided cardstock/dp. I didn't have any of the CTMH small velcro dots on hand to keep it closed so I put the ribbon a little higher to tuck the flap into it. (Gotta order some!)  I cut out two of the flowers on the flirty paper to attach to the front.  The paper had a lot of incomplete flowers along the edges after the box was cut, so I cut out those for the cards inside. I made the cards 3" x 4" but they could have been a little larger and still fit.

Using the colors in the papers, I chose 3 sheets of my old, lightweight patterned paper to make the envelopes. By cutting out the envelop 3 inches like my cards, it actually cuts a little larger than the card so that the card will fit. I think this makes a nice little gift box with cards for a friend!

Challenges for this gift box with cards:

Craft Your Passion Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Dutch Dare Challenge #176 - Anything but a card (the box and envelopes)

Inspire Me Fridays #70 - Anything Goes

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #197 - Gifts

Simply Create Too #19 - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Fall and bonus challenge of colors (my fall leaves and fall paper plus colors)

Gift Box of Thank You Cards Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Flirty," White Daisy, Hollyhock, and Olive cardstock, (very old dp)

Stamps - CTMH "Love Blooms" (leaves), "A Friend Like You" (So Thankful for . . .), "Approved" (images behind the sentiment banner)

Ink - CTMH Black, Slate

Accents - CTMH clear sparkles, retired bubblegum organdy ribbon

Tools - CTMH Cricut Artiste p. 52 (box - <s>3D object) and 35 (scalloped envelopes- <5> shift, card)

Perfect Sentiments for the Graduate - Gift Card Holder

This week at Perfect Sentiments Challenge #37:

The Challenge: use a sentiment appropriate for a graduate. Sentiment must be on the front of your card.

The Twist: create either a gift card / money holder or a card with a designated place for the gift card/cash

 

I made a graduation card using the colors of our local school. Three of our kids went there and two graduated from the high school. Lawson's mascot is a cardinal, so red is the predominant color. I chose to make my own version of a Joy Fold card using stripes in the school colors and gray dotted paper.

I started with a premade card base that is 6.5" x 5."  I cut the front in half lengthwise at 2.5" and covered it with Dotty For You gray flannel paper that is 6.25" x 2.25" on the front and back side. I attached the striped piece inside, measuring 6.25" x 4.75." 

The red cardstock was cut at 4" x 7" and folded in half. The outer side was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder and decorated. The inner half had a 3"x 3" envelope attached, using some extra strong sticky tape to handle a gift card or cash being moved in and out without detaching. The top flap of that envelope was cut off since the gift card would stick up a little above the opening.  I love the sentiment that's attached to the envelope. It's perfect for graduations. I also left room for a short note.

The outside has a matted and decorated circle attached using dimensional tape only on the bottom half so that the red flap can fit in the top. That's what keeps the card closed.

I hope this helps you sometime in designing your own gift card holder. Be sure and stop by Perfect Sentiments for more ideas.

Challenges for this card:
Craft Your Passion #115 Flips and Folds (more than one fold)
Fairy Tale Challenge 42 - money or gift card holder
Here Come the Boys #29 - More than one fold
Pile It On #25 - Graduation with School Colors
Stamptaclar Sunday Challenge #168 - Fabulous Folds, more than one

Ahoy Matey Birthday Card

I can't believe my oldest grandson is turning 10 this month. I made this card to celebrate the great kid he is. Just a couple of years ago he got an outdoor play set with swings, etc., that had a pirate's tower. He also wanted to watch pirate movies when he came to my house. He definitely got his youngest brother into dressing up like a pirate. This has definitely been a hobby of his, so this card is also for Here Come the Boys Challenge #26, Hobbies. I also wanted to scissor distress the edges, making them rough and more masculine. Craft Your Passion Challenge #109 is for torn or distressed edges.

I chose the colors for this card with the great masculine palette at The Play Date Cafe, Challenge #131: Seaweed, Algae, Goldfish, and a touch of Black.

The sketch came from My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club #71. The main image was made with a clear stamp that is also from My Favorite Things, Claire Keay's Ahoy Matey.

I added some additional sandpaper distressing on the lighter green piece that was embossed with the woodgrain pattern. The Kraft corrugated shapes are neutral and don't interfere with the intended color scheme. All three pieces were connected, but I punched them apart. Cut the one on the upper right in half and mounted the stamped sentiment under it. The ones on the bottom right came from inside that frame. I turned the inner circle upside down so I could stamp the number 10 then reinserted it and pop dotted both pieces over the arrow using two layers of pop dots on the bottom. It's hard to see in this photo but the black strip has the word "ha ha" over and over again. I tied 2 pieces of black hemp around it and tied two more pieces into knots on the right side and trimmed.

I enjoyed making this card using these challenges. That part was fun. But the number 10 makes me a little sad knowing he's just growing up too fast. I'm so glad he's a Christian and goes to a great Christian school, Sunday School, church, and Awanas. Being the oldest of four kids, he's very nurturing of the younger ones. At least I know he'll grow up to be a sweet pirate, but please, Lord, not too soon!

6.5" x 5" Masculine Birthday Card:
Paper - Basic Grey Sultry; Close To My Heart "Hooligans" (black),  "Olivia" (sunset dotted), White Daisy and old retired green cardstock
Stamps - My Favorite Things Claire Keay's "Ahoy Matey;" CTMH numbers "Friendship Alphabet" and sentiment retired
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - Copic markers; CTMH sanding block, black hemp, Milepost Shapes; Sizzix woodgrain embossing folder

Two of the pirate brothers. Dressing up as pirates or super heroes is definitely a big thing at their house!

Button Cluster Butterfly

It's a very stormy day here today. I started a card using a kaleidoscope of colour suggested by Simon Says Stamp and Show, but tornado warnings came up for the area where my son lives and that changed things. My card was nearly finished, but I started making phone calls to his phone and his wife's. When I couldn't get either of them, all I could do was pray for their safety and watch the TV for any news. Finally, his wife called me that their adventure was over. They were in a theater a few blocks from their home. My son said his phone vibrated with a call from his wife's mother then from me and he knew that meant there must be a tornado. The theater stopped The Avengers and said there was no safe place for them to go so they decided to race for the safety of their own basement. Thankfully the warning expired. When it was over I realized I had been unconsciously singing "Trusting Jesus."

My goal with this card was to make it colorful for a child in the hospital for the challenge this week at Send a Smile 4 Kids, using buttons, ribbon, and or flowers. I was also inspired by Challenge #108 at Craft Your Passion, to use Lots of Texture. The versatile sketch #164 at Card Patterns provided the structure.

The texture was provided by a Sizzix embossing folder, textured cardstock, and lots of buttons on the butterfly. Initially it was cut on the Cricut to match the stamp set. After stamping the spots and flower shapes I matched buttons to each shape. On the largest flower shapes I used two flowers punched out of the same purple paper as the heart circle diecut. The smallest dots were covered with Stickles for some glittery texture. I know that the little girls I used to teach would have loved this colorful, textured card. It's not my usual style, but thanks to the lovely ladies who dream up these challenges, I stepped outside my box.

Challenges:
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Buttons, Ribbons, and/or Flowers
Simon Says Stamp and Show - use a Kaleidoscope of Colour
Craft Your Passion Challenge #108 - Lots of Texture
Card Patterns Sketch #164

5.5" x 4.25" Kids card recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Color Me Silly" and "Euphoria"(purple); Close To My Heart Twilight and Colonial White Textured cardstock
Stamps - CTMH "Love clusters" (butterfly), "A Little Buzz" (sentiment)
Inks - CTMH Black, Twilight, Sunflower
Other - Spellbinder's Heart Circle die, Sizzix Floral Flourish embossing folder, MME Lime Twist baker's twine, CTMH buttons and Glitz Glitter glue Stardust

Clean and Simple - Mother You're the Best

Today I was praying for a friend who isn't treated well by her older teenage children. It's a common problem in many homes. I'm praying for these young "adults" that they will learn the Biblical truth to honor their mother that it may go well with them, the first commandment with a promise.

I was making this card when my daughter called me on her way home from work. I feel so blessed to have children who passed through that difficult stage and are on track spiritually. I suddenly realized how important it will be for me to encourage the mother who will be ignored on Mother's Day with a card that tells her some day they'll come to the realization of what she's done for them. I'm glad that this particular friend has decided to lovingly scrapbook these kids when she feel down about it, hoping that someday they'll also see her love for them in the scrapbooks.

Here's the card that was inspired by the colors in the Craft your passion challenge #107 photo and the sketch from CAS-ual Fridays.

The photo has feminine decorations in pinks and brown, so I chose to make a feminine card with the colors and embossing with this particular folder is definitely girly and fits well with the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 116, embossing.

Challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays- Challenge #49 Sketch

Craft Your Passion Challenge 107 - photo inspiration

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 116 - Embossing

5.5" x 4.25" Mother's Day Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart White Daisy and Cotton Candy cardstock

Stamps (both retired) - CTMH Reminisce, Family ("Mother")

Ink - CTMH Baby Pink, Chocolate

Other - CTMH Baby Pink organdy ribbon, Sizzix embossing folder - Ornate Swirls, 1 3/8" circle punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities -scalloped circles

Sweet Surprises Cards with Dots and Stripes

I have three birthday celebrations this week. Tomorrow one of my grandsons will turn six. So far, he's the most artistic one, the one who takes after his mom, my daughter. For the last year and a half he would rather have a marker or pencil in his hand with a stack of plain paper. He can look at something and quickly draw its main features so that it's very recognizable. I get to pick him up from kindergarten to go out for a grandma day by himself. When you have three siblings, it's great to be the center of attention.

I decided to make his card using a kraft card kit I just received that has cups for treats and stickers or chipboard embellishments to help hold the cup in place. I decided to make two while I was at it. This one is his birthday card. It has cherry jelly beans in the cup. I'll explain later how to make it.

I like the kraft envelopes that came with this card set. They are made from thick kraft cardstock and fold more like a box that is 1/2" thick. Here's the way I put a slider over the envelope/box to keep it shut while transporting. I scored a 12" x 3.5" strip at 3", 3.5," 9 3/8" and 9 7/8." That doesn't go all the way around, so on the back I added a 3.5" x 3.5" piece that attached to both ends. Then I decorated the front.

There are illustrations that come with the kit showing how to put it together, but I wanted to use my Dotty For You paper with the dots and stripes. Amazingly, the colors of those papers look really good with Kraft cardstock. The colors I chose are Lagoon and Smoothie dots and the striped paper in that pack. Because of these papers I'm entering this cards in the Craft Your Passion Challenge #104 - to use Dots and Stripes.

Here are directions for using patterned paper on cards with a hole for a treat cup.

Before adding the cup or treats, cut 2 different patterned papers 5" x 2.75." Cut a strip of paper 3/4" x 5" to go across the middle. Either use temporary adhesive of align the top paper in place, hold it carefully and turn it over so you can trace the hole onto the paper. Cut out the portion of the circle for the hole. Do the same for the other two papers. By using two or three different papers that line up across the hole, it's easier to cut out the circular portion.

Attach those papers then attach the cup. First peel the protective strip off of the cup to reveal the sticky portion. I used liquid glass around the edge of the circle cut-out on the inside of the card. Push the cup through the hole. Attach the sticker over it, but not the circle part of the sticker. Use liquid glass to attach the chipboard shape to the front of the card. Fill the cup with the treat, then use the circle that punched out of the chipboard shape to push into the opening of the cup inside the card. It's a tight fit.

To cover the bottom flap, place a 5" x 1.5" strip of paper approximately 1/4" up from the fold (closer to the decorative edge) and trace. After you cut out the decorative edge, you piece should be about 1/8" from the fold and the edge. If you want to cut through the patterned paper where the slits are for the ribbon, cut it before you glue an identical piece on the back of that flap, that way you see the holes.

 Decorate the inside as desired. I decided to stamp a pop-up message that says "PULL" so he'll know how to open the jellybeans from inside. Be sure to leave a white portion for a sentiment or message.

Here are photos of the other card. On this one I covered the bottom flap and didn't cut a hole for the ribbon. Instead, the ice cream cone shape helps to hold it shut.

If you make a set of these cards and decorate them your own way like I did, feel free to leave a comment with a link to your photo.

5.75" x 5.25" Birthday Card Recipe (all of the materials are from Close To My Heart):
Paper - Dotty For You, Lagoon and White Daisy Cardstock
Stamps - Card Chatter Birthday, (retired Birthday Wishes), Hodge Podge Alphabet
Ink - Lagoon, Sweet Leaf
Other - My Originals Sweet Surprises Card Kit with white grosgrain ribbon, Sweet Leaf grosgrain ribbon, Adhesive Springs, Liquid Glass

May You Prosper

Jeemiah 29:11 is such a beautiful verse to share with a friend. I keep using it again and again. Today I used it for the Viva La Verve Challenge for February, Week 3. I combined it with the Challenge from Craft Your Passion: This week's challenge is in honor of President's Day here in the USA,

RED, WHITE & BLUE

May God prosper and bless our nation as well as individuals as this verse says.

 

Because the sentiment on my card is fairly large, the three inch circle takes up a lot of room without a border in the back. So I chose to sponge Outdoor Denim ink around the edges for more definition.

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey "Boxer," "June Bug"and "Marekesh;" Close To My Heart White Daisy Cardstock

Stamp - Verve Jeremiah 29:11 Plain Jane

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; CTMH Outdoor Denim

Other - CTMH "Bohemian Assortment"(doily and button), Colonial White Waxy Flax, 3" and 2" circle punches

Night Time Prayer with Teddy Bear

Sweet Sketch Wednesday Challenge 138 provided this sketch along with the request to use an image from ADayforDaisies.com. Last year I had seen several of their images with children praying, so I used Night Time Prayer for this card. Since it's a digital image I resized it in Photoshop down to 3" and colored it with a combination of copics, CTMH blender pen with ink, markers, and colored pencils (definitely not my best job of coloring an image). This sketch was perfect for using some of my Graphic45 "Playtimes Past" paper on Kraft CS.

I love the way the child is checking on his/her praying Teddy Bear during their prayer. I also made this for the Craft Your Passion Challenge 95 to use a Teddy Bear image. The simple sentiment from Verve seemed appropriate for this child's card.

5.5" square card:
Paper - Graphic45 "Playtimes Past" collection; CTMH Kraft, Moonstruck, Colonial White, Cranberry CS
Stamp - Verve "Joy for the Journey;" digital stamp A Day for Daisies "Night Time Prayer"
Ink - CTMH Black, Indian Corn Blue
Other - CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy "oval 3," Indian Corn Blue marker, Vanilla marker, Blender Pen, Cranberry brads, corrugated star, Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel; Copic markers, various colored pencils

We Can't Thank You Enough

I have a new stamp set from Close To My Heart that has wonderful sentiments that fit into shapes I can cut on my Cricut using the Art Philosophy cartridge. I made this thank you card using that February Stamp Of The Month. The stamp set's acrylic carrier sheet shows you the measurements for cutting that shape. That's a cinch! When I looked in my papers I had setting out to make cards, I found a strip I had used to practice with alcohol inks back in 2008. It was a combination of amethyst and pink colors, maybe with a little silver. It doesn't shine in the photo like it does in person. I'm entering this card in Papertake Weekly's challenge to Highlight using glitter, glossy accents, etc. I used a dot of glossy accents on each white flower dot along with amethyst sparkles to coordinate with the shiny homemade strip.

I used this sketch from Card Positioning System (CPS Sketch #252) to make this card and the top row of colors from Craft Your Passion's Color Bingo:

5.5" Square Card:

Paper - Basic Grey (aqua); Close To My Heart (Black, White Daisy, (Pink B&T,Glossy White retired)

Stamp - CTMH "Thoughtful Tidings" (Feb. Stamp of the Month)

Ink  - CTMH Black, Baby Pink

Other - CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge, 3/8" white organdy, Pink/Red Sparkles; corner rounder

Home for the Holidays

Last week Our Creative Corner had a challenge called Home for the Holidays that inspired this card. They wanted you to use something about Christmas at your own house to inspire a card--and add glimmer and sparkle. I was interrupted while making it and didn't get to enter it in their challenge, but that's OK. My real intention is to have a head start on cards for Christmas next year while some of the stamps I have are still fresh in my mind. I had already stamped the wintery home and colored it with Watercolor Pencils and blender pen. The image reminds me of our rural home and the snow we had last Christmas. (This year I stood without a coat at my old high school's parking lot taking photos of my younger grandson learning to ride his new bike. It was so warm!)

I used a sketch from Craft Your Passion Challenge #90 to put the rest of the card together. Since I put Stickles on the stamped image, I added them to the snowflakes and the circle shape. I wish the photo would better show the dark green Bazzil paper's color and texture better as well as the antique copper brads that match the brown of the woodgrain dp.

Blog Challenges Entered:

Craft Your Passion - Sketch - Challenge #90

Make it Monday - Challenge # 70Anything Goes

Materials Used:

Paper - My Mind's Eye "Stella and Rose - Mabel" (dots and wood); CTMH Cranberry and Colonial White CS; Bazzil green textured CS

Stamp - CTMH "Snow Days"

Ink - Brown Staz-On

Other - CTMH Watercolor Pencils, Antique Copper Brads, Blender Pen; Stickles, EK Success punch, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Stickles

Mojo Monday 220

I'm still making Christmas cards! Today's Mojo Monday Challenge seemed perfect for this angel stamp, which is pretty big. My card is 5" x 6.5."  I used papers that were embossed and somewhat glittered. I even embossed my black strip under the lace by rubbing it on Versamark and using black embossing powder.  I stamped the plain Colonial White oval with a music background like the dp I used for the angel. I used Bamboo ink so it was very subtle. When I stamped the Sentiment and embossed with black e.p., the Bamboo ink must have still been slightly damp because the black powder stuck to some of the staff and notes. I decided to leave it, hoping it doesn't distract too much from the word.

This next view shows more of the shine of these papers.

I also made this card for Craft Your Passion Challenge 89 - things with wings - and for Our Daily Bread Stamps. Their challenge was creatively called "NOEL," which stands for elements used in my card.
N = Nestabilities
O = Oval
E = Embossing
L = Lace - the black lace along the black strip.

Supplies used:
Paper - Recollections Naught or Nice Christmas pack
Stamps - CTMH Everlasting Life, Universal Backgrounds, Stampendous Wire Works Angelica
Ink - Versamark, CTMH Bamboo
Accessories - Spellbinders Ovan and Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, CTMH Black Lace, Gold ribbon - Papertrey Ink